Accent is on youth in this weekend's holiday concerts and ballet performances

DanceVision presents its ballet adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen" tomorrow and Sunday at The College of New Jersey in Ewing.

It has been said that Christmas is for the young (and the young at heart). A glance at local events this weekend would seem to bear that out.

New Jersey Youth Ballet presents its hour-long telling of “The Nutcracker,” with narration, at Mercer County Community College’s Kelsey Theatre, for five performances, beginning at 7 p.m. today.

Danced almost entirely by children and teens, Tchaikovsky’s perennial favorite is presented in an easily digestible form. (So there is no danger of anyone overindulging on too many candy canes and sugar plums.) It is a good primer, perhaps, for future performers and/or balletomanes.

Dancers range from ages 5 to 18. Children and parents are encouraged to meet the performers following each show.

Ballet on a more ambitious scale is offered by DanceVision, which will present its original production of “The Snow Queen,” a new work based on the classic fairy tale of Hans Christian Andersen.

Co-founder Risa Kaplowitz choreographs this story of a young girl’s journey to rescue her beloved from the beautiful but villainous titular character. Along the way, there are adventures in the underworld, a land of eternal summer, an encounter with robbers, and a castle of made of ice.

Andersen’s original — which does feature a reindeer — has been adapted to better fit the Christmas season, with the action moved to Christmas Eve and an appearance by Julemanden, the Danish Santa Claus.

The production features 70 performers and 140 original costumes. Projected artwork by Dave Haneman will move virtually with the dancers, to create an otherworldly sense of time and space.

The score is assembled from atmospheric works of Grieg, Bartók and Rimsky-Korsakov.

DanceVision fosters high artistic standards and a sense of professionalism in emerging talent. Kaplowitz predicts audiences will be moved by the commitment of her young dancers.

“Often, a company like ours will import professionals. We do not need to do that because the dancers are impeccably trained. We have yet to perform where audience members, even balletomanes, are not amazed that the dancers are young and not yet professional.”

Performances of “The Snow Queen” will take place tomorrow evening and Sunday afternoon at Kendall Hall, College of New Jersey, in Ewing.

The American Boychoir requires little introduction. Princeton’s internationally renowned vocal ensemble appears for two concerts this weekend of sacred and secular fare.

Fernando Malvar-Ruiz directs “Voices of Angels,” at Princeton University Chapel, tomorrow evening, and “Winter Wonderland,” in Richardson Hall, on Sunday afternoon. The singers range from ages 8 through 12 and lend a touch of celestial purity to the season.

Casting an ear farther north, Rutgers Children’s Choir will perform a concert of traditional winter, Christmas and Hanukkah songs. RCC, an extension of the Mason Gross School of the Arts, is made up of third- through eighth-grade singers from across New Jersey. (The choir will hold midyear auditions in January, and may be reached at (732) 932-8618.)

The seasonal concert will be held on Sunday, at the Nicholas Music Center. Rhonda Hackworth will direct.

Finally, 10-year-old composer Emily DeLia will appear with Voices Chorale. DeLia, a native of East Windsor, will sing the opening solo of “Once in Royal David’s City.”

Her original work, “What Christmas Is to Me,” was a winner in Voices’ 23rd Annual Music Competition Contest for Children.

Scored for soloists, eight-part chorus and piano accompaniment, the piece will be performed by the ensemble in three concerts — the first two to be held tomorrow in Princeton. The third will take place on Sunday, in Wrightstown, in Bucks County, Pa.
Also on the program will be music by Hubert Parry, Harold Darke, John Rutter and William Mathias, as well as traditional lullabies and wassails from Scotland and Wales.
Joining the 65-voice choir will be soprano Rochelle Ellis and the chamber group Sotto Voce. Music director Lyn Ransom will share the podium with associate conductor Andrew Monath and Sergio Hernandez, an intern from the College of New Jersey.
In addition, Lewis Baratz will direct an early music ensemble made up of lute, recorders and viola da gamba.

Jack Cleghorn will provide accompaniment on the piano and organ in this program with a special emphasis on Christmas music from the British Isles.

Despite her extreme youth, DeLia has participated in the Voices competition for the past four years.

“Every year, her pieces have become more sophisticated, and more complex, and more interesting,” comments Ransom. “This piece, ‘What Christmas Is to Me,’ has been through four revisions, and it’s now canonic. It’s really quite wonderful.

“It very interesting to see what a child can do, just given the encouragement and the opportunity.”